Forever Forgotten

Chapter 1 Natalie's POV “Natalie, run!” “Don’t look back, keep going Nat!” The voices seem to follow me as I run through the ever-darkening woods. It seems as though the vines chase, trying to trip me as I jump over the fallen trees. I look back as I hear an ear-deafening scream. All I can see is what looks like a woman covered in shadow collapse. Her eyes meet mine as I fall into the darkness covered in the thick vines. I wake with an abrupt jolt, scratching at my neck as though to claw off the vines that choked me. I climb out of bed, slowly, letting my eyes adjust to the little bit of light in my room. I glance at the clock on my wall next to my door and it reads 5:30 am. I groan as I rub the sleep out of my eyes. I quietly head to the bathroom down the hall to take a quick shower before anyone else gets up. I hurry up and throw on my favorite pair of ripped blue jeans. I’ve had to mend the hole in them several times, but they're still my favorite. Call it a comfort thing. I pair it with a plain black t-shirt I’ve worn a thousand times. I hurry and brush my teeth and pull my long brown hair up into a simple high ponytail. As I look into the mirror, I notice my blue eyes bare a startling resemblance to those of the woman from my dreams. I jump as there’s a pounding on the door. “Hurry the f**k up Nasty!” “Mom, she's hogging the bathroom!” I hear Cassandra on the other side of the door. I didn’t realize I had been in here for too long. I hate that stupid nickname. She has called me that ever since we turned thirteen. She was unbearable even before that though. I don’t really know why. Angela is the same way. I don’t call her mom. Even if I wanted to, she's told me never to do so. For as long as I can remember, she has never allowed me to call her mom, even though her and Cassandra are all I have ever known as family. “s**t,” I mumble under my breath. I definitely don’t need my ass kicked before the first day of school. I hurry out of the bathroom making sure not to bump into Cassandra. “Sorry Cassie,” I mumble as I hurry past, only taking a second to glance at her. “I don’t need your pathetic apologies, Nasty” Cassie sneers, making sure to put emphasis on that awful name. “I don’t know why you spend so much time in there anyway. It’s not like you'll ever have a boyfriend. Or friends for that matter.” She says haughtily, throwing her blond hair over her shoulder. Personally, I think she needs to find a new hairdresser if they tell her it looks good. It’s glaringly obvious it's bleached and not natural like she pretends it is. “Natalie,” Angela tsked, “ why must you aggravate Cassie this early in the morning, and before you’ve made my coffee? You know how I can be before I have my morning coffee.” Her face holds a smile. That’s due to botox. However, her tone conveys a more threatening undertone. “Yes, ma’am, I’m sorry the time got away from me. It won’t happen again.” “See that it doesn’t, you won’t like what happens if it does.” Her brown eyes seemed to darken as she spoke, but almost as if I imagined it, they went back to their normal color. Almost. “Now,” she cheerily clapped her hands together, “ why don’t you get on with making that coffee, hmm? Oh and Cassie, dear, you look absolutely beautiful! Wouldn’t you say Natalie?” At that moment, Cassie waltzed into the kitchen wearing super tight jeans and a top that looked two sizes too small. I guess in an attempt to push up what little cleavage she had. Her face was caked in makeup. It was almost comical, but I didn’t say that. Instead, I turned and started brewing Angela’s coffee. Right after I got it poured into her cup, I heard a car horn. I rushed out of the house, grabbing my bag on the way, before either Cassie or Angela could say anything. “Oh man, do you have good timing Evie!” My best friend since grade school, Everliegh, always seems to be right there exactly when I need her. It’s almost like she’s psychic. She’s your typical high school girl. Beautiful, blond hair, green eyes, looks athletic, she should be popular, but she chooses to hang out with us oddballs of the school. You know, typical wallflowers. “Of course Nat, I wouldn’t leave you with the knock-off barbies,” Evie says with a smile. That’s what my group calls Angela and Cassie. Cassie likes to torment us, Evie and me especially. She hates the fact that Evie would rather hang out with me than her and her minions. After talking about the things we did over the summer, we listen to Ice Nine Kills’ new album The Silver Scream until we reached school. I notice the twins, Sage and Asher, and Liam pulling in at the same time as us. I point them out to Everleigh. “Hey, look, it's the guys. Did Liam get a new car?” “Oh, I’m sure the car is what you’re checking out” Evie winks. I feel myself starting to blush. “Shut it Evie. What about you and Sage?” I try to redirect and jokingly punch her in the arm. “A lady never tells,” she puts a finger to her lips and smiles. “You, a lady?” I ask with disbelief. “Oh, come on girl. You’ve had a crush on him since freshman year. This might be your year. Just go for it, besides Sage says he’s got the hots for you too.” Everleigh wiggles her eyebrows at me suggestively and bumps me with her shoulder. We get out of the car to be met by the twins and Liam. Everleigh tries to throw her arms around us all. “Welcome back to hell bitches.”